An Unexpected Par 5 at U.S. Open, Possibly Thanks to Spieth

UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. — The United States Open champion, Jordan Spieth, is only 21 years old, but it appears he may already wield considerable influence in the golf community.

In a surprise on Sunday morning, the United States Golf Association set up the 18th hole at Chambers Bay Golf Course as a par 5 and not a par 4 as was expected.

Spieth’s harsh criticism of the hole when it was a par 4 on Friday may have played a role in the turnaround. A change in the direction of the wind at Chambers Bay helped persuade the U.S.G.A. to alter its thinking.

Regardless of the reason, the decision allowed golfers to aggressively attack the final hole instead of facing it with respectful trepidation.

The 18th hole was designed to play either as a relatively easy par 5, susceptible to birdies and even eagles, or as a long, punishing par 4 where bogey or worse would not be uncommon.

For Thursday’s first round, the 18th hole was a par 5 and was statistically the 16th-hardest hole relative to par. On Friday, it was a par 4 and ranked fifth. On Saturday, it went back to a par 5 and again was the 16th-hardest hole.

The 18th hole is not the only hole at Chambers Bay that can switch pars. The first hole has also been toggling between a par 4 and a par 5.

Before the tournament began, the U.S.G.A. indicated its objective was to play the 18th hole as a par 4 twice and as a par 5 twice. That was never made a certainty, and the U.S.G.A. is always cagey about where it will put the holes and the tees day to day.

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Adam Scott had a six-under 64, the lowest round of the day.CreditAndrew Redington/Getty Images

But Spieth’s potential role in the decision cannot be overlooked.

Spieth was far from the only golfer complaining about the 18th hole as a par 4, but his disapproval was more vociferous. And Spieth, as the reigning Masters champion, is chasing golf’s Grand Slam — a victory at each of the major championships. His voice is heard above the others.

After making a double bogey on the hole as a par 4 on Friday, Spieth said he felt he had nowhere to land his drive from the tee. As he was walking up the hole, he called it “the dumbest hole I’ve ever played in my life.”

Later, Spieth added, “I think the 18th hole doesn’t make sense because you can hit it down the left center of the fairway and still end up in the right bunker and in trouble.”

To Spieth’s way of thinking, only the players who can fly their drives 310 yards in the air had a favorable place to aim their tee shots. And while some pro golfers can hit a golf ball that far, the number is small.

“I just didn’t know where I could hit that tee shot and be safe,” Spieth said. “So all in all, I thought it was a dumb hole.”

On Sunday, Spieth birdied the 18th. A day earlier, asked about the hole as a par 4, Spieth ratcheted up the pressure. He suggested he might try playing the 18th hole on Sunday by aiming for the adjacent fairway of the first hole and then continuing from that vantage point.

The idea that Spieth, by far the most popular golfer in the United States right now, would play the final hole of the national championship in such an unorthodox manner could not have made the U.S.G.A.’s leadership too comfortable. Even worse was the thought that Spieth, or any golfer, would be denied the championship because of a closing hole that was playing in an unfair way.

A change in the wind pushed the U.S.G.A.’s hand as well. Winds from the north meant that the prevailing wind at the 18th hole would be left-to-right crosswind. That could blow even more balls into the vast right-hand bunker alongside the fairway — the one Spieth said he was having trouble avoiding.

Whatever the reasoning, the 18th hole gave the long hitters a chance at eagle because it was reachable in two. But the hole was cut on a small tier in the back right portion of the green — not the most welcoming spot.

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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland after missing a putt on the 18th green. McIlroy posted a 66 and finished at par for the tournament.CreditStephen Brashear/European Pressphoto Agency

The 18th was not the only hole set up to be more accommodating off the tee Sunday. The tee on the par-4 16th hole was moved up. It was also playing downwind, so the green was drivable from the tee.

But the par-3 17th hole was playing about 100 yards longer than it did in Saturday’s third round, and the first hole was a long par 4 on Sunday.

FED UP WITH COURSE Chris Kirk had had enough of Chambers Bay, and he still had 17 holes to go.

Playing in the second group off in the final round on Sunday, Kirk was left in fits by the par-4 opening hole and its elevated green. His tee shot found the left rough, and his approach to the green came up short. His next five shots up the slope all rolled right back to his feet. When Kirk finally got onto the green, about 30 feet from the hole, he three-putted for a 10 — or, in golf parlance, a sextuple bogey. (AP)

MICKELSON FALTERS Phil Mickelson’s 25th bid to win a United States Open title ended on a distinct down note as he fluffed a greenside chip en route to a double-bogey 7 on the last hole. That gave him a closing-round 73 and an overall finish of 13 over, his worst performance since he was 16 over in 2012.

Mickelson, 45, has won five majors — three Masters, one P.G.A. Championship and one British Open — but remains a victory away from becoming the sixth man to win all four Grand Slam titles in the course of a career. He has a record six runner-up finishes at the United States Open, the last of them behind Justin Rose two years ago.

Mickelson completed his round Sunday some two hours before the leaders were due to set off.

“It was fun to play here,” he said. “The community helped run a really first-class event, and I wish I had played better.” (AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE)

RUNAWAY DRIVER On the long par-4 11th, George Coetzee lost his head — the one on his driver.

He was teeing off when the head of his driver followed his ball right down the fairway. Coetzee was left to look quizzically at the shaft in his hands, wondering what had just happened.

His playing partner, Jim Furyk, walked ahead and kindly picked the head off the turf and handed it to Coetzee, who still seemed unsure of how the club had come apart.

Because the club was damaged in the normal course of play, he was allowed to replace it. (AP)

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page D6 of the New York edition with the headline: An Unexpected Par 5 for the Final Round, Possibly Thanks to Spieth. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe